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This is interesting, because in the past, users had a choice as to when or where updates would be applied. Now, there is no choice. MS just downloads it for you. Not that is a bad thing, but what if it was in some critical or bad time (especially for 56k users)? Now this does not apply to corporate editions of WinXP... and curiously enough, I have to agree:

Consent-based push, then. And pretty similar to what you already get in Windows Update, for sure. But what's it doing in the installation sequence?

I have no idea, but this is sure to make many wonder because of

And as he points out, this could be back door for future DRM technologies. Such a clause was smuggled into a security patch in June.

"Reasonable efforts to post notices" somewhere on the Web. I think it's clear from the wording that MS has absolutely no intention of bringing this behavior to our attention.

Hm. Everybody is probing and prodding in your OS now. What makes me wonder is the new proposal Bill Gates calls "Trustworthy Computing" as found in this article: How can this be trustworthy computing when there are so many fingers doing the things we are supposed to do in the first place? Can they just leave us alone and let us choose when we apply updates and better yet, not tell the whole world?

If that's not good enough I found another paragraph in SP3's EULA that is just as annoying:

* If you choose to utilize the update features within the OS
Product or OS Components, it is necessary to use certain
computer system, hardware, and software information to
implement the features. By using these features, you
explicitly authorize Microsoft or its designated agent to
access and utilize the necessary information for updating
purposes. Microsoft may use this information solely to
improve our products or to provide customized services or
technologies to you. Microsoft may disclose this
information to others, but not in a form that personally
identifies you.

To me, this sounds dangerously like spyware at the very least. This is simply intollerable. I personally will be boycotting windows until this nonsense stops. Or better yet, hope open-source rules the desktop world.

yeah, they install the "automatic updating" feature with SP3 by default, so they can push these updates to your computer. i NEVER install this auto update feature, i always like to install only the patches that i need. i always wonder what is it sending to good ol bill. i am....oh wait, let me done some fire retardent...a microsoft guy, but dang billy boy.....?

Originally posted by aragorn28 We block these style connections at our perimeter.

Your missing the point

it's not about stopping inbound M$ crap, it's about stopping any M$ box's phoning home and downloading patch's, trojans, keyloggers etc.
It's the outbound stuff that gets past the firewalls, just look at www.grc.com (leaktest) for an example of what can happen when firewalls let stuff out from the inside (as most do to some extent)
Big Brother is alive and eating at Bills table getting fat on your diminished privacy and security.

jcdux.

[glowpurple]manually editing your config files can break them. If this happens, you get to keep both pieces. [/glowpurple]